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Burning Man 2005 Tuesday Morning

8-30-05Tuesday

Well, we survived our first dust storm, and made it through our first quarter day and are now beginning our first full day here. I went to bed exhausted and depleted and woke up feeling sore and underwhelmed. It's always like this, and again I have to remind myself to take it easy, go slow, Rome wasn't built in a day, or as in our case, Kidsville.

I haven't been anywhere or seen anything yet, other than my immediate neighbors. I've told Beau that he's not to go anywhere or do anything until after we've sorted through all of our stuff and set up camp. No matter how much I promise myself, or how many resolutions I make, it's always like this. We always end up forgetting things and having to buy them at the last minute, then end up being too tired, or too pressed for time, to remove all of the packaging, throw it away before we get here, and put it all away. I did some of this at Mara's house before we left, and it took hours, but we always make a last minute stop at Raley's market in Reno before we head out.

When we arrive here we're loaded with food, drinks, (Propel, because Beau is addicted to these, water and more water, beer, wine coolers, champagne, margarita mix, juice, Snapple, tea, energy drinks, and powdered drink mixes for the big cooler we share with anyone who wants some), all our basic necessities, (toilet paper, paper towels, mop, broom, paper plates and cups, utensils, pots, pans, bowls, serving platters for pot luck dinners, cleaning supplies, four trash cans to properly sort recyclables, paper, pens), things to light up the darkness, (lanterns, flashlights, headlights, glow sticks, matches), electronics, (computers, radios, Beau's electronic gadgets, a TV for the kids to play their DVDs on), things to give away, (all the booze because I'm not much of a drinker, toys, candy, fruit snacks, and cases of things that light up in fun creative ways; balls, necklaces, wands and more), all of our art projects, (the village mailbox and all of the many things I need to set that up; the box, a big wooden post, paint, neon green fake fur, glue guns, glue sticks, wire, toys, things to light it up at night, and for our trading cards and village ID badges; hundreds of blank business size cards, a printer, extra ink, a laminating machine, and hundreds of laminating packets, and the cord we need to make these into necklaces for the kids to choke on), tools, camping gear, bicycles, (bike lights, baskets, decorations, things to light them up at night so we won't get run over by a moving ship or rolling living room), our shade structure, tarps, cement umbrella bases, rocks to mark our camp and hold things down in the wind, (they're actually small boulders -- picked these up along the road through The Sierras), three coolers, dry ice, cosmetics and medications, (Blistex, salty nasal spray, face cream, foot cream, body cream, sunscreen, tampons just in case -- a gal can wish, or maybe not -- our prescriptions, first aid items, and my makeup), vitamins, blankets, pillows, sheets, towels, clothing, costumes, jackets, hats for shade, knit caps and hoods for the night, and scarves to wrap ourselves in Bedouin style when the sands come. I am sure I've left out plenty -- did I mention drums for drum circles? It goes on and on, and it's all jumbled up right now and dusty. I need to get this all sorted out but I'm tired from the journey and for the first few days at least we'll be suffering the affects of altitude and dehydration, which makes you feel like you've got a mini flu. Sounds crazy doesn't it? It's worth it. I'm not feeling that right now, but it'll all work out eventually and we'll be back out there cruising the playa, hugging people, seeing the sights, passing out gifts, and taking pictures.

Our hard working neighbors, who of course had three adults working, and arrived at the exact same time we did, set up their camp in the middle of that crazy dust storm last night. They have a young, and I must say handsome, guy doing all of the heavy lifting. Julia and Jay were over there pounding rebar into their shade structure, and a group of men who I've known since they were teens, were building our dome structure, or I should say rebuilding our dome because the wind flipped it over and tore it down THREE times yesterday. The third time it lifted off and flipped over it smashes a little black Saturn -- shattered it's windshield. I don't know whose car it is yet, but my heart goes out to them. Imagine trying to explain that to an insurance company.

An enormous rolling mosquito car just drove by my window with people hanging all over it hooting. I've gotta go. I promise I'll check back in soon with pictures if I can get these posts out.

Big loving hugs,Jacqui

PS: I have to find and fill up my water backpack so I can start wearing that and remember to sip water constantly, unless I want to end up in the med tent.

PPS: One of the most exciting things that has happened in my life, and that will be very healing and bring my story full circle, is hopefully going to happen here on the playa this year. I can't write about it on my public journal, (I'm so sorry to have to censor anything about my life), but please send a prayer and wish me luck. If you know what I'm writing about, and want to respond, please try to write about it in a 'round about oblique sort of way to protect "her" privacy.